A tragic stampede at a Tamil Nadu rally in Karur killed 40 people, including 55-year-old Jaya, who was brought by her son Murugan, 34, to see actor-turned-politician Vijay. Murugan remains critical in the ICU. Thousands of supporters had gathered in the hot sun for hours, while Vijay arrived late in the evening.
Social media footage shows Vijay tossing water bottles before the panic ensued. State police said 27,000 attended instead of the expected 10,000, and crowd control, food, and water arrangements were insufficient.
Chief Minister MK Stalin announced a judicial commission led by retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan to investigate and declared compensation for victims and the injured. Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami criticized the state for security lapses.
